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ricumbent
Member

Registered: Oct 2007
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 71

Tour Easy Info

Looking for general/specific info about Tour Easy bikes:

What serial numbers fall within what years?
What year did the idler change?
What years had what colors?
What year did each model begin (TE, Gold Rush, Ti-Rush, C-Rush) begin?
What years had what gears (21, 24, 27)?
What are the frame size changes, and where on the frame does it change?

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04-27-2012 09:01 PM

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hamilgs
Senior Member

Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Huntsville, AL USA
Posts: 222

Ric: you have asked for a pile of info, care to share the reason? If you are looking to buy used, decide how much you want to spend & your x-seam & go for it

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04-28-2012 04:10 AM

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ricumbent
Member

Registered: Oct 2007
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 71

No special reason, just curious about the TE history. Like the other day being contacted with a used sale, and the TE was yellow, never knew or had ever seen a yellow one. Understand there are many variations/mods people do, but just thought it would be cool to know a few of the facts. As far as the used/back-up one I'm going to buy, I already know what I'm looking for, and am waiting for the right one to surface, thanks.

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04-28-2012 04:28 AM

ricumbent
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Registered: Oct 2007
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 71

Deleted

Last edited by ricumbent on 04-29-2012 at 03:55 PM

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04-28-2012 04:32 AM

ricumbent
Member

Registered: Oct 2007
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 71

Other fun facts to add to the list:

When did the Koolback seat begin?
When did the straight stem move to a coupled stem? (sorry, my bike language is not exacting).
Changes in the front fork?...(I know my 2007 had a short lived fork design).
How do you measure a TE physically to verify it's a S, M, M/L, L, etc?

But, if nothing else, at least "What serial numbers/what years?...the rest I can collect over time by logging things as I run into TE riders/bikes.

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04-28-2012 01:10 PM

bogiesan
Senior Member

Registered: Nov 2009
Location: boise idaho
Posts: 153

Re: Tour Easy Info

quote:
Originally posted by ricumbent
Looking for general/specific info about Tour Easy bikes:
What serial numbers fall within what years?
What year did the idler change?
What years had what colors?
What year did each model begin (TE, Gold Rush, Ti-Rush, C-Rush) begin?
What years had what gears (21, 24, 27)?
What are the frame size changes, and where on the frame does it change?

1. No idea but such questions are often asked fo the factory and the answers have been hit or miss.
2. Change? I've only ever seen one version
3. You could just about always get any color you wanted if you waited long enough and had the money.
4. No idea.
5. Gearing on the ERs was driven by the market. As better transmissions hit the market, you could get them on the bikes. But, I've been told Gardner was a frgual and practical businessman. Because he bought transmisisons in bulk, he put them on his bikes until he emptied the bins. So the stock versions oif his bikes lagged behind the market by one or two years.
6. The geometery probaby changes in several places. You can't just extend the main pipes without altering the headtube angle a wee bit.

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04-29-2012 02:39 PM

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bogiesan
Senior Member

Registered: Nov 2009
Location: boise idaho
Posts: 153

quote:
Originally posted by ricumbent
Other fun facts to add to the list:
When did the Koolback seat begin?
When did the straight stem move to a coupled stem? (sorry, my bike language is not exacting).
Changes in the front fork?...(I know my 2007 had a short lived fork design).
How do you measure a TE physically to verify it's a S, M, M/L, L, etc?
But, if nothing else, at least "What serial numbers/what years?...the rest I can collect over time by logging things as I run into TE riders/bikes.

1. when I bought my TE in 2001 (or was it 2002?) the Koolback was still relatively new.
2. I replaced the handlebars two years ago and the new stem came with. The much more interesting upgrade to the handlbars was the use of a standard diameter cross tube which suddenly made it possible to mount lights and accessories without hacking and shimming. I have been told the oroiginal design was Gardner's and, being a practical and frugal business person, the factory had to use up all of the existing handlebars before a change cold be made.
3. My fork is more than 10 years old, there's nothing wrong with it.
4. No idea.
5. Serial numbers? Call the factory. Better yet, make an appointment and fly out to California to do extensive interviews and publish a history of the company.

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I play go.
I use Macintosh.
Of course I ride a recumbent.

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04-29-2012 02:44 PM

estolkne
Senior Member

Registered: Aug 2004
Location: Saco, Maine
Posts: 196

quote:
Originally posted by ricumbent
[B
How do you measure a TE physically to verify it's a S, M, M/L, L, etc?

[/B]

Measure from the end of the front quick release to rear quick release
S=63", S/M=64-1/2", M=66", M/L=67-1/2", L=69"

Ed

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04-29-2012 07:01 PM

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bogiesan
Senior Member

Registered: Nov 2009
Location: boise idaho
Posts: 153

quote:
Originally posted by ricumbent
Thanks bogiesan: I think.
Your last comment leads me to believe you are being cynical. Yes, I could climb under each bike, pull the serial number and call or fly out to the factory for an interview...but. Very funny!
Ric

Not cynical in the least. ONe wonders why you would think so. The history of the company has never been compiled. Gardner made lots of interesting decisions based on economics and common sense and not always with the customer in mind. Those who bought the company from Sandra were a bit of an enigma. The current owners, umm, likewise; at least, they're not here much.

The information you are seeking is writ large in the ledgers and design archives but, speaking only from hanging on the forum for a decade, not likely to be forthcoming except form folks like me who have been hanging out here for a decade or more. And nearly all of us are gone, apparently moved to the Easy Racers facebook presence, so you're stuck with me and estolkne and hamligs and the sparse information we can recall.

Ah, have you tried there?

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I use Macintosh.
Of course I ride a recumbent.

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04-29-2012 08:06 PM

kmay
Member

Registered: Apr 2008
Location: Jackson, MS
Posts: 77

there is a chart somewhere

Ric, I saw a chart either here or on BROL that listed ER S/N by year. I think the thread may have included other info that would help people date their bike. I think the thread was titled something along the lines of help me (determine date of manufacture) date my ER or how to date an ER.

Had to add the parenthetic info or else this would just get silly.

If you do a write up, please let us know.

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and a WW Tour trike

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05-03-2012 11:53 PM

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Perry Butler
Senior Member

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Ashby, MN - between Dalton & Melby
Posts: 171

quote:
Originally posted by bogiesan
1. when I bought my TE in 2001 (or was it 2002?) the Koolback was still relatively new.

Terry's 93 Tour Easy had a Koolback seat. The tubing was slightly smaller than current, but in other respects it was identical.

Enjoy,

Perry Butler

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05-04-2012 03:18 AM

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ricumbent
Member

Registered: Oct 2007
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 71

Hey Perry:

When you say "tubing", to what are you referring?

And when saying it was otherwise identical...what was identical to what?

Ric

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05-06-2012 06:28 AM

Perry Butler
Senior Member

Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Ashby, MN - between Dalton & Melby
Posts: 171

quote:
Originally posted by ricumbent
Hey Perry:

When you say "tubing", to what are you referring?

And when saying it was otherwise identical...what was identical to what?

Ric

The frame tubing was slightly smaller. The height of the seat back and lumbar curve were literally identical.

When Gardner was around you could get a seat bottom just about any size you wanted. My GRR came with a monstrous seat bottom and was sent back to make it a medium size. Terry's seat bottom was small.

I just sold this seat last summer and really wish I hadn't.

Enjoy,

Perry Butler

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05-06-2012 03:32 PM

Cranky Old Dude
Junior Member

Registered: Jun 2008
Location: Rochester, N.Y.
Posts: 25

I tried compiling some serial number info a while back and my results are listed in the 14th post to this following thread. The info came from fellow forum members posting in this forum. Some were responses to my thread seeking information, and others I found through the search function in other serial numbers threads.

http://209.133.21.26/vbb/showthread...t=serial+number

I haven't been able to find much more info.

If you do, please share. Inquiring minds want to know.

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Happy Trails
Lenny

"If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't you're right"
Willie Eldon O'Ree

Last edited by Cranky Old Dude on 05-09-2012 at 07:43 PM

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05-09-2012 07:35 PM

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bogiesan
Senior Member

Registered: Nov 2009
Location: boise idaho
Posts: 153

quote:
Originally posted by ricumbent
Sorry if I mis-interpreted your write-up.
Guess I was looking for some specifics, not general statements/thoughts.
And the "Better yet" comment was certainly not helpful.
Thank you for your info.
Ric

Good grief, man, this a casual user forum and you've maybe noticed how quiet it is and you have also noticed there is very little formal representation from Easy Racers. I'm not necessarily here to help you. I'm here to say whatever I want to say without triggering a deletion. There's a "report this post as abusive to my sensitivities" button somewhere around here and you're free to push it.

We do what we can. You want more, go visit the factory or give Denton a call. He's a one-man shop so don't be upset if he can't just drop everything and answer all of your questions about stuff that happened decades before he bought the company.

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I play go.
I use Macintosh.
Of course I ride a recumbent.

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05-12-2012 02:30 PM

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